TUESDAY January 14th
I am going to turn today to the first of the three well-known parables that we read of in Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep vv4-7.
‘“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.’”
When we briefly considered the previous parables from Matthew 13, they were to do with the kingdom of heaven, in verses 1-3a we see why Jesus told these three in Luke 15, ‘Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:’
They are to help us to understand why Jesus left heaven and came into this world—that is to save sinners! That is not just the tax collectors and sinners that were listening to Jesus, nor just the Pharisees and the scribes who were criticizing Jesus for receiving sinners and feasting with them, he came to all the world and for all the world, he came to save anyone and everyone who will be willing to repent and to believe on him.
Some very important verses that even we who are saved need to keep reminding ourselves of, for we can so easily forget that just as we needed saving, so do those around us who we can so easily turn our noses up to, the ones that don’t quite fit into what we consider as being the ‘right’ or the ‘nice’ box that we sadly fit people into and the verses are:
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16
‘The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.’ 1 Timothy 1:15–16.
Paul says of himself, that as far as sinners are considered, he was the worst, or the most foremost, but the reality is that everyone one of us however good or bad we may consider we were before we met with Jesus, were all as bad as each other, for we were all sinners worthy of death, for that is the wages of sin. But the One who revealed himself as the good Shepherd in John chapter 10, came to lay down his life so that we may have eternal life.
So, before we turn to this parable, let us all ask the Holy Spirit to help us during 2025 to learn to love sinners the same way that Jesus loves them, even the ones who don’t quite fit into our own liking, for Jesus gave his life for them as much as he gave his life for us.